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Silly vegan, can't ya taste the fish sauce?


Brink15

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In the states we have to have the most pretentious vegetarians in the world. It's not for health reasons that these wankers become vegans, unlike other parts of the world, but because it's hip.

I've been eating Thai food for about 20 years (I know, not long compared to many - Thais excluded), worked in a Thai restaurant, lived in Thailand, and my wife has been a chef at three different Thai restaurants and is, of course, Thai.

Now in my experience very few ethnically Thai people are vegetarians. Unlike parts of India, Thailand is inhabited by carnivores. Thais like their meat and especially their fish and fish sauce.

So it is incredibly amusing to me when some whinging American vegan cackles over how wonderful Thai cuisine is for vegetarians. I don't know of a single Thai restaurant that does not use fish sauce in most of the "vegetarian" dishes they serve. Now this is the states, so I'm sure they DO exist. But I guarantee you they are in the vast minority.

I always thought it would be fun to tell the newly stuffed vegan that the meal he just consumed was made with extract of dead fish. Ummm, yum, yum.

Now, please don't take this as an attack against vegetarians in general, it's not. A friend of mine has been a vegan for almost 30 years and does it for health reasons. I just think the pseudo-intellectual, Hollywood wannabes in the states should find out what is in their food. After they're done eating of course.

laugh.gif" border="0

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I have to agree withyou,

when I was at school (back in prehistory) I saw a succession of young ladies declare their newly found Vegetarian status as an attention getting phenomenon. Only to find that the menstrual requirements for iron faded them to a kind of grey at which point they discovered why us humans are omnivores.

succession? suck session? mmm...

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This is a real problem in LOS: my wife is vegetarian for more than 30 years (her parents had a meat factory, enough to be disguested for the rest of your life) and her stomach turns around when she smells pad pak luam.

Her choices are very limited in Thailand (pak priaw waan, khao pad saparot, khao pad american withouth the egg & sausage, fruit)

Any suggestions out there for food or places?

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My daughter went vegan. One day, she's eating a Mc$hit burger...

"I thought you were a vegan."

"I am."

"Well, what about that Mc$hit burger you're eating?"

"This isn't really meat...."

Who could argue with that?????? crazy.gif" border="0

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thalenoi

you have to convey to the cooks that there should be no fish sauce (nam plaa) in your dishes- best to tell chefs, not waiters/waitresses-

a lot of restaurants that cater to farangs understand about vegetarians now- not like when i first came here- if you tell them you're vegetarian - order anything thai- som tom jeh mai sai goong, mai sai nam plaa- pad pak ruam , mai sai nam plaa, khow pad jeh, etc, you'll be all right- i've been vegetarian for 17 years

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I am reading this thread with great amusement, it reminds me of an episode at college.

We were having a student union meeting and the various campuses (campi?) had sent their representatives. One was what could only be described as militant vegan you know the sort shaved head (before it was hip), army surplus clothing and attitude.

One girl complained that the union had been moved to a smaller room, she said "hardly big enough to swing a cat in".

Well "Vegterorist" nearly had a coronary, apoplectic with rage, jumped up and started spouting about talk like this being just the stuff we should be jumping on etc. A real dick head.

After the meeting we went to a huge fish and chip restaurant (Harry Ramsdens for the Brits). Most of us had fish and chips, Veg had a plate of chips (French Fries for the Americans).

Just as we were finishing someone saw that Harry Ramsdens fries everything in 100% Beef Dripping......... !!!!! The look on his face is one that I will take to the grave.

He looked pretty sickly too...... I could never decide if it was diet or drug related, he probably lives in Tunbridge Wells with 2.4 kids now and an ugly wife who thinks men who travel to Thailand are child molesters.

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I'm always amused that the Thais throw fish-sauce all over the food.

I mostly ask when i need to have fish-sauce over my pork, can I please have pork-sauce over my fish?

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quote:

Originally posted by coquetislander:

Just as we were finishing someone saw that Harry Ramsdens fries everything in 100% Beef Dripping......... !!!!! The look on his face is one that I will take to the grave.

He looked pretty sickly too...... I could never decide if it was diet or drug related, he probably lives in Tunbridge Wells with 2.4 kids now and an ugly wife who thinks men who travel to Thailand are child molesters.

I like it. Beef fat is healthy 4 u!

When I read where u r from, I realized why it's difficult for me to understand what you write - you are writing in ENGLISH! What's Tunbridge Wells? -'Murican laugh.gif" border="0

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Tik28

Of course I write in English, I am English.

You probably do have a problem with real English...... why, you still use that outdated expression "Gotten"! We stopped using that as soon as the Mayflower sailed.

"Tunbridge Wells" is a mystical place in Southern England famed for it's angry letter writers. They usually write letters to The Times. Did you notice I only had to say "The Times"..... not the New York Times..... that's because our's is older than most of your buildings.

England and America, two countries divided by a single language!!!!

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